The present invention relates to image forming apparatuses that after detecting the size of an original document to be processed or a recording material on which an image is to be recorded, normally process original document image data based on the obtained original document size information or recording material size information to form an image on the recording material of a corresponding size and when necessary, allow manual input of the original document size information or recording material size information.
Digital copying machines and other image forming apparatuses are already commercialized with a function to produce an image with a desired appearance by executing predetermined processes, such as scaling up or down, displacement, and production of a repeated pattern, on an original document.
Such a digital copying machine needs, first of all, to recognize the size of the original document to scale up or down the original document image.
Accordingly, to recognize the original document size and scale up or down the original document image, the conventional digital copying machine is provided with an original document size detector device that detects the size of the original document placed on an original document platen. The provision of the size detector device enables detection of the original document size loaded in the device as long as it is one of limited number of standard sizes, including A3, B4, A4, and B5.
A scaling ratio is determined from the original document size detected by the original document size detector device and the size information on the recording material that is selectively fed from a paper feeder section in the digital copying machine. A scaling process is then performed on the original document image based on the scaling ratio.
Other needs to recognize the original document size occur when the digital copying machine displaces, or produces a repeated pattern from, the original document image.
Accordingly, the conventional digital copying machine is provided with an original document size detector device that detects the size of the original document placed on an original document platen, also to recognize the original document size and displace or produce a repeated pattern from the original document image. The original document size detector device detects the original document size as long as it is one of a limited number of standard sizes. A displacement of the original document image or the number of repeated images (the number of repetition), etc. are determined from the original document size detected by the original document size detector device and the size information on the recording material that is selectively fed from a paper feeder section in the digital copying machine, to perform various processes on the original document image.
The original document size detector device is for detecting an original document placed on the original document platen by means of sensors disposed on the bottom of the original document platen and determines the original document size based on specific combinations of output signals from the sensors in reference to standard sizes.
There are however many original documents that do not match any of the standard sizes. Especially, these copying machines are now no longer limited to use in offices, but installed in convenience stores and similar places to provide copy services to general users where the digital copying machines are increasingly required to handle original documents of non-standard sizes, such as magazines, small notebooks, and daily necessities.
Under the circumstances, problems occur with those sensors that are arranged to detect original documents of standard sizes; the sensors fail to precisely detect the size of an original document that does not conform to any standard size and consequently can provide only limited options in editing the original document image.
To respond to such needs, a scale-varying copying machine incorporating an original document size detector device and an original document size input device was invented as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 61-59318/1986 (Tokukaisho 61-59318; published on Mar. 26, 1986).
The scale-varying copying machine is designed not only to automatically detect the original document size by means of the original document size detector device, but also to allow the user to manually input the original document size through the original document size input device.
However, in the foregoing conventional image forming apparatuses, the original document size detector device does not work in collaboration with the original document size input device; only one of the two devices that identify the original document size is actually used at a time.
Specifically, when the operation is switched from the original document size detector device to the original document size input device, in the original document size input device, the operator estimates the original document size numerically in reference to markings near the original document platen and input a result numerically by means of numeric keys.
Since the operator needs to make a direct input of numerical values through the original document size input device by means of numeric keys, the operation is troublesome to the operator and there is room to improve operability.
A first objective of the present invention is to offer an image forming apparatus with improved operability in manual input of the size of an original document or recording material.
To achieve the first objective, the image forming apparatus of the present invention includes:
original document size detector means for detecting a size of an original document to be processed; and
original document size input means for allowing input of a size of an original document to be processed, wherein:
normally, the original document size detector means detects the size of the original document, and original document image data is processed based on obtained original document size information to reproduce an image on a recording material of a corresponding size; and
the original document size input means is provided with original document reference value adjusting means that enables the operator to, when inputting the size of the original document, select and input new original document size information using value adjusting operation means, such as an incremental key or a decremental key, after reference values are provided based on original document size information obtained by the original document size detector means.
According to the arrangement, when the size information of the original document is to be input, the original document reference value adjusting means provides reference values based on original document size information obtained by the original document size detector means. When the size information of the original document is actually input, the operator selects and inputs new original document size information using the value adjusting operation means only by the deviation from the reference values. This facilitates the input of the original document size information.
Original document size information obtained by the original document size detector means, such as, standard size information comparable to the size of an original document fed into the device or size information corresponding to a predetermined size group, can be set in advance as reference values. The operator therefore only needs to adjust the values up or down from these reference values and thereby can cut short the time to operate the value adjusting operation means.
As a result, the image forming apparatus can successfully offer improved operability in manual input of original document size information.
Further, to achieve the first objective, the image forming apparatus of the present invention includes:
recording material size detector means for detecting a size of a recording material on which an image is recorded; and
recording material size input means for allowing input of a size of a recording material on which an image is recorded,
wherein:
normally, the recording material size detector means detects the size of the recording material and image data is processed based on the obtained recording material size information to reproduce an image on a recording material of a corresponding size;
the recording material size input means is provided with recording material reference value adjusting means that enables, when inputting the size of the recording material, selection and input of new recording material size information using value adjusting operation means, such as an incremental key or a decremental key, after reference values are provided based on recording material size information obtained by the recording material size input means.
According to the arrangement, when the size information of the recording material is to be input, the recording material reference value adjusting means provides reference values based on recording material size information obtained by the recording material size detector means. When the size of the recording material is actually input, the operator selects and inputs new recording material size information using the value adjusting operation means only by the deviation from the reference values. This facilitates the input of the recording material size.
Recording material size information obtained by the recording material size detector means, such as, standard size information comparable to the size of a recording material fed into the device or size information corresponding to a predetermined size group, can be set in advance as reference values. The operator therefore only needs to adjust the values up or down from these reference values and thereby can cut short the time to operate the value adjusting operation means.
As a result, the image forming apparatus can successfully offer improved operability in manual input of recording material size information.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, are not in any way intended to limit the scope of the claims of the present invention.